Tag: stlrams

Talking coffee with Maplewood’s La Cosecha

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When it comes to coffee, some people just want a hot cup of something in the morning. It doesn’t matter what it is. What are you drinking, exactly? Who knows? Then there are the fanatics who like a little something extra with their morning cuppa joe. Something with a taste to be remembered.

The moment I tasted the fresh brew from Maplewood’s La Cosecha Coffee, I knew it wasn’t your ordinary java. Tasty, multi-cultural and layered, the independent coffee shop’s flavors run the gauntlet of expectations. Unlike Starbucks, the commercial Goliath of coffee consumption, La Cosecha roasts their own coffee in house and adds a personal touch to the connection of supplier and receiver. It’s not just a transaction but a feeling that a face is being registered and appreciated. In order to fully get the scoop on what makes La Cosecha special and what the idea behind the name is, I asked co-founder Jamie Jeschke a few questions.
First off, what does La Cosecha mean and why was that the name that stuck?

Jamie Jeschke-La Cosecha is Spanish for “The Harvest”. As you know, there is a lot of coffee grown in Spanish speaking countries. Many of the large jute bags list the year of “La Cosecha”. We all speak Spanish & really like how so much joy comes from the harvest after months of hardwork.

When did the obsession with coffee and opening a shop take place? Did you wake up one day, taste some coffee, and think “I can do better”?

Jeschke-Gio Sparks (co-founder) was home-roasting as a hobbby. He got me hooked on fresh roasted coffee. He is an IT guy with a strong technical knowledge & I have a background in international sales. Back in 2006, I approached him with this crazy idea. We roasted coffee for 7 yrs to wholesale accounts before taking the big step of opeining our own coffee bar & roastery in 2013. Really, the driving force was to get to know our customers and show them the roasting process in the same location. Maplewood has been very good to us.

How was that first batch of coffee you roasted? Must have been an experience.

Jeschke-Thrilling! Let’s just say there was smoke, and where there’s smoke…… Seriously, there is a lot to learn to find the optimal roast level for each origin and crop.

The top of your website reads, “Only the finest, freshly roasted organic fair trade coffee”. Explain that a bit to people who may not know what they are drinking.

Jeschke-We want to connect the coffee drinker to the coffee farmer by offering fresh roasted coffee grown in a sustainable manner where the farmer was given a fair price. Hence the tag line, “From the Harvest to your cup”

What’s a normal day at the coffee shop?

Jeschke-We have our usual tasks depending on the day. Sometimes we are roasting coffee or talking to new customers. Amazingly, weather has a lot to do with the flow of a coffee business. We just try to be prepared for whatever comes our way.

Where do you get your coffee beans from and what makes them unique? Or does that come in the roasting process?

Jeschke-We currently buy our beans from several importers, so we can get a variety of coffee from different countries around the world. All are either Fair Trade or Direct Trade coffees where the farmer was given a fair price. Many carry other certifications, such as organic, rainforest alliance, bird friendly, Utz, etc… The uniqueness of a cup of coffee comes from the origin & the roasting process.

What is La Cosecha’s long term goal? Ideas on the horizon….One shop in Maplewood or more? What is happening in the future?

Jeschke-Our long term goal is to continue to develop relationships with our customer in the STL community & coffee farmers in other countries. One location is sufficient.

This seems like a passion project met a career. A rare thing in life. Is that what La Cosecha is for you, Jamie?
Jeschke-Yep. It is cool to see so many areas of interest in your life come together, such as La Cosecha has done for us.

Why should people come to La Cosecha? What’s the hook?
Jeschke-We roast, we brew, we breathe coffee. No bells & whistles, just a tasty cup of coffee.

The minute I tasted your coffee, Starbucks immediately fell down to the bottom, like right next to four hour hold gas station body shop coffee. Do you and the others carry some pride in snagging a particular clientele away from the big coffee chains? Or is it just make good coffee and let the rest sort itself out?

Jeschke-Ha. We like the fact that we don’t have a “drive-thru” window. If you want to know where the heck Burundi or Flores is located, let’s talk about it over a cup of coffee.

Jamie added that adding Gregory Lowe, a retail specialist who managed a coffee shop in St. Louis for five years before joining La Cosecha, was a huge key to the success of their coffee bar.

There’s something about consistently good coffee shops. The cups where you taste it and think, “This is seriously good and not just good enough.” When you drink La Cosecha, that is the feeling you get. Then you talk to the people working there and it becomes something more. A personal experience.

Do yourself a favor and stop by La Cosecha in Maplewood. They redefine what good coffee should taste like. When you are there, grab a fresh pastry from Great Harvest bread company on the other side of the room. Sit down and relax while some music plays in the background. La Cosecha Coffee is an independent coffee shop to treasure.

Nick Foles makes a grand entrance with Rams

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The mark of a great quarterback is refusing to give in when the stakes are set high against your team and the momentum isn’t pointed in your direction. The great ones create their own momentum and bring their team back against adversity. On Sunday in front of a fiery St. Louis crowd begging for something to hang their pride on, Nick Foles brought the Rams back, steering them towards a 34-31 upset victory over the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks.

Instead of taking to Twitter to promise victory like Russell Wilson did, Foles just went to work when the whistle blew. After a few hiccups early including a sack strip and fumble return for a touchdown and a few ill-advised throws, Foles was dynamic in the second half in reversing another fate that would have been labeled “Second Half dooms Rams again.”

For years, that has been the Rams motto. Start fast and deflate quicker. Foles wasn’t going to have any of that Sunday. He went 18-27 for 297 yards, throwing the game tying touchdown to Lance Kendricks late in the 4th quarter and also rushing for a touchdown earlier in the game. He completed 66 % of his passes and didn’t think twice about the Seahawks aggressive defense. Some young players may have let the early troubles get to them and mentally shut down, but it seems like the harder the situation became Sunday, the tighter the focus Foles showed.

This is a quarterback driven league and every team treats their QB like a general, rather they are a star or not. The defense can play a great game, but if the quarterback can’t do something with the ball in their hands it all goes to waste. The offense needs him to guide them down the field. Be their navigator at all times. If the QB fails, the operation is finished. Forget the flags, the coaches, the head sets and the practice.

It hasn’t been easy for Foles. He was set up behind Michael Vick in Philadelphia and had to wait for his opportunity to shine. When he did in 2013, winning 8 games and throwing for 27 touchdowns, the credit was given to Chip Kelly’s offense and not Foles. He came into his first game with St. Louis with a 15-9 record but little respect and credit given. He was looked at as injury prone for damage taken to his shoulder in 2014. Any Rams fan that had reservations about the trade for Foles isn’t holding them today. The 26 year old has turned heads with his performance.

Sure, it’s only one game. It’s just a blip on the schedule for most NFL teams. For the Rams, it was oxygen to the brain and blood flow to the heart. The fans needed this. His teammates needed him to be sharp. Foles’ unsung hero work in the second half against the Seahawks may not make the Sportscenter highlight reel or get a four minute speech from Jon Gruden about mental toughness, but it will be remembered by anybody who was in attendance Sunday. Along with a stout defense that stopped Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson when it mattered, Foles was the X-factor in the Rams first win.

His postgame Twitter comments was more team oriented.

The rest of the schedule won’t be easy but the Rams have all the confidence in the world at the moment. To them, the possibilities are endless. That is the power of a huge Week 1 victory. The fanbase is energized and the rest of the schedule doesn’t look at tough. Nick Foles will probably have a few bad games and rough moments with the Rams. It’s a team pre-requisite to suffer through harsh times. However, Sunday’s play showed a taste of what the man brings to this team and why the Rams extended him before the first snap.

Nick Foles has something to prove and that is he can produce results in any offensive system and with any team. He’s off to a good start in St. Louis.

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Joe Buck stands up for St. Louis in calling Kroenke out

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If you had any reservation about Joe Buck’s feelings towards his hometown before today, they surely are gone now.

With the St. Louis Rams relocation/new stadium/multi-faceted storm of uncertainty circling the team on a daily basis, fans need a pick me up from a national face. Today, they got just that in the form of local boy Joe Buck taking to Twitter to slam Rams majority owner Stan Kroenke and his plan to relocate the football team to Los Angeles. Check out Buck’s twitter profile for the stream of comments, but it pretty read like this.

What Stan Kroenke is doing to St. Louis Rams fans with this ordeal is a joke and an “insult”.

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After all, Stan pulled the team away from potential owner Shahid Khan years ago in a colossal shift in direction. Without publicly telling fans right away that the Rams would be in St. Louis for a long time, Stan just took the team back towards his corner of the room. He pulled his card and declared other potential owners useless, a little nugget he had built into the alliance with Georgia Frontiere.

When that happened, I had a sick feeling what Stan was up to. He didn’t care about the football fans in St. Louis. He cared about future dollars and cents. He always wanted to move these Rams west. It was never in question. He drove up ticket prices. He stayed in hiding while the Edward Jones Dome struggled to remain up to code. He checked out and bought land in Los Angeles to build a stadium. This was all part of the plan. At the end of the day, Stan was a shrewd decrepit businessman who played St. Louis for a fool. His intentions were clear from the get go. Now everybody is playing catch up.

All Buck did today was voice an opinion that many know and feel but don’t have the national weight to swing.  He called out Kroenke for being playing dirty, lying to the people of St. Louis and throwing a heavy hook towards the body of the Midwest when it comes to its football prospects.

Save me your talk about Stan Kroenke just doing what businessmen do and trying to make money. It doesn’t add up. You don’t see Bill DeWitt III trying to swindle St. Louis Cardinals fans while putting a crap show on the field for years. Tom Stillman has put his heart and soul into the Blues and making them competitive.

What Kroenke did here was lay the foundation for a move years ago. Threatening to move in order to get a new stadium deal financed. Having the dome(which has only been standing since the mid 1990’s) go on a year to year lease with the Rams and the NFL. Slowly but surely, Kroenke has worked all these moves into a plan to leave.

Kudos to Buck for unleashing the truth. Do me a favor and don’t focus too hard on the specifics of what Buck said and concentrate on the meat of the statement. What Kroenke is doing is 100% cutthroat, heartless and it has the potential to damage St. Louis for a long time. When it comes to stadiums/domes in the downtown area of a city, it’s not just about football. It’s about community growth, jobs and building something that can spark life downtown. Ballpark Village, Busch Stadium and Scottrade Center can’t do all the heavy lifting themselves. St. Louis needs the economic punch of a football stadium. It’s fuel for a city. With a new stadium, the Ed Dome could be left to schedule a number of events and dates and the Northern Riverfront could become a booming section of the city with the NFL’s full support behind it.

Stan was never on board with a new stadium here. Not for a second. He always wanted California. He’s holding the Rams over the Pacific ocean while Dave Peacock and Bob Blitz coordinate with the city of St. Louis, Governor Jay Nixon and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to keep the team in St. Louis in a frantic last ditch effort. While signs aren’t dismal for the underdogs, Kroenke is making it a tough fight. Instead of speaking with his words and keeping one foot inside a city, Stan is letting an empty suit jacket and checkbook speak for him. What a joke indeed!

Once again, Stan’s whole ordeal smells like garbage. He pried the team away from Khan with this plan in mind. He always wanted the team out west, where they came from. He’s a scoundrel for insulting a fan base who has shown up to see a pathetic team for years. Buck just called him out. He didn’t use a cryptic arrangement of 140 characters to zing Kroenke either. He threw a series of hooks, jabs and straight right hands to the temple of Stan’s phony initiative. Sometimes, integrity stands taller than dollar bills. Buck’s words won’t fix stadium issues. Just nice to see a big stick take a big swing.

Thanks for speaking up for a city of voices, Joe Buck. Thanks for stepping up for a city you grew up in and are attached to forever. A place you keep sacred roots. Buck didn’t have to say anything. He could have stayed quiet, walked the status quo, and hid behind the mighty Fox kingdom. Instead, he took to the most powerful modern outspoken device to prove his point and that’s social media. He wanted the fans to hear him.

We heard you, Joe. Loud and clear. Thank you for being the voice of the people.

The 1 Year Anniversary Death of Michael Brown will cue stupidity

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Look, I have nothing against a good old healthy protest. People get mad, come together on one cause, formulate a crowd and action, and don’t hurt anyone. The foundations of this country were built on healthy protests. Martin Luther King Jr. marched with protesters. Other groups marched for their civil rights. It’s positive and healthy. However, with the one year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death ringing in this morning, the healthy ideas will be tabled for more stupid actions. The followers, supporters and memorial candle holders of Brown and his family will probably unleash havoc on Ferguson tonight.

The word around the city is there will be loud actions and that’s unfortunate. That’s the wrong way to get your message across. When people start vandalizing property and burning cars and buildings, their purpose is lost. It’s tarnished and weak. (more…)

The Rams Make A Statement With Michael Sam

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140209224957-michael-sam-mizzou-single-image-cutMichael Sam will probably not make it into the NFL Hall of Fame. He may not even play in a Pro Bowl or win a Super Bowl. There’s a slim chance he even wins a spot on the Rams roster this upcoming season. The one thing he will get, thanks to Jeff Fisher and Les Snead, is a chance to compete in the NFL for a job.

After 31 other NFL teams passed up Michael Sam, an openly gay man who came out publicly earlier this year at the end of the college football season, The Rams made him the 249th pick in the 2014 draft and made a statement. They weren’t going to let a man’s sexual preference keep him from being drafted by an NFL team.

Make no mistake. Sam is a helluva football player and an intriguing talent. He is an All American and was co-defensive player of the year in the SEC, one of the toughest conferences in NCAA Football. He made a lot of plays for Mizzou at defensive tackle and can really get after it on a football field.  He deserves a shot at stardom and got it thanks to Fisher showing a pair of brass balls. We live in a day and age where politically correct trumps common sense and unfortunate bias and prejudice is an everyday occurrence.

I wrote a few months ago about this kid after he came out and told the world he was a proud gay man, and the story was crisp for media manipulation. Everybody thought the kid would be drafted for the simple fact that he was the first to make this leap and would be taken without a wink at his actual ability. Fast forward to Saturday night and the kid was sitting around with a handful of picks left for teams to make. It would be foolish to say the 31 other NFL teams were passing on Sam because they weren’t sure about his NFL ability. They were afraid of joining a circus or welcoming in the freak show. They didn’t want to mess with their players locker room. Those are soft ways to think about athletic talent and tells you all you need to know about coaches and general managers. For the most part, they are afraid and gutless. Fisher and Snead may not have a winning football team yet, but they have real guts and like to make bold moves.

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The Rams Raw Talent Defines 2013

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Another year in the books and another year of watching another team not named the Rams in the playoffs.  It is perfectly civil to be disappointed with the Rams for finishing 7-9 and at least in record alone, finishing worst than last season.   Just do me a favor and don’t be ashamed or disgusted.   Sure, these Rams are young, dumb and full of attitude and aggression.  That spilled out over Sunday’s finale in Seattle, as the NFC champ Seahawks took our little dudes to school in a place where very few opposing teams leave with head held high.  The Rams got whopped 27-9 and got a lesson in where they are at in the current rebuilding mode.   I’ll break down what I saw and what happens going forward.

Listening around Twitter and other internet sites, certain minds would have it that the Rams were supposed to play the upset card and win the NFC West this season.   I personally picked them to go 9-7 and when Sam Bradford went down, I would have bet on a 5-11 finish.   In the end, Kellen Clemens stepped in, Jeff Fisher and Brian Schottenheimer revamped the offensive game plan and Zac Stacy solidified the Rams rushing attack enough to steal games from the Colts, Bears and Saints to win 7 games.

In a disappointing season, look at the bright sides.  The Rams were 3-4 when Bradford went down in towards the end of week 7, and we went 4-3 down the stretch instead of tanking completely.  Clemens played well and should return as the backup if another team doesn’t scoop him up.  Stacy rushed as good as any RB in the league over the last 9 games and defensive end Robert Quinn well, he basically dismantled opposing linemen and made them look like Pop Warner victims.   7-9 is nothing to celebrate but it is highly important that Rams fans put that record into perspective.

When Fisher took over for the Rams before the 2012 season, the home team had gone 15-65 in the previous 5 seasons.  We were horrible, except for the miraculous soft scheduled 2010 where we went 7-9 and nearly made it into the playoffs.   When Steve Spagnuolo and Billy Devaney left Rams Park, the building may as well been on fire.  Fisher and new general manager Les Snead took custody of an NFL franchise corpse.  After 15 wins in 5 seasons, Fisher has led this team to 14 wins in 2 seasons.  Please, pretty please with sugar on top, don’t forget about that as you drown yourself in depression this week as the New Year brings the well known phrase “maybe next year” to our minds.

The Rams aren’t built to win divisions or Super Bowls right now.  We are built to improve.   Get better.   Reach higher every season.   After going 2-14 two years ago, trust me, I am not asking the Rams to overtake the 49ers and Seahawks(who faced off for the NFC championship in January) any time soon.   It was dismal to see our team play 1-5 against the division this year, but keep in mind those last three games came without our starting QB and on the road.    When we faced San Francisco the first time, the offense was mired in a pass heavy attack without a real running back at the helm.   The one win we managed, against Arizona at home, came directly from our defense’s ability to break down Carson Palmer and that slowly forming Cardinals attack.

Sports is hard to follow without putting things into perspective.  One Rams fan told me last night I sounded like a Cubs fan when defending the Rams season.   I could have quickly uttered the word “Titanic” and put done with it but I broke it down again instead.   The Rams are rebuilding under Jeff Fisher.  That is a fact and can’t be forgotten.  His regime is exiting just its second season with this rebuilt vehicle.

The stupid penalties in the first 8 games and especially on Sunday in Seattle, come from a raw young talented team.   There is no excuse to make a tackle after the opposing player gets 15 yards on you and pump your chest because you made a good tackle and prevented him from  getting the other 55 yards and a score.  Those things will be smoothed out or the players involved will be reassigned to practice squads in Earth City where if you beat your chest, comparisons to gamblers at Ameristar Casino are made.

This is Sam Bradford’s team.  Let me say that loud and clear.   Clemens was fine and did his job but let’s not coin him the answer.  He won 4 games with the Rams and Bradford won 3 but that is where the pros end.  Clemens benefited from a new system and a fresh legged running back.  Schotty and Fisher had Bradford throwing the ball 38, 55, 48 and 41 times in the first 4 weeks of the season.   Clemens threw the ball over 35 times once in his 9 starts and that came against SF on the road in a blowout.  Bradford didn’t have Stacy for most of the first 6 weeks.  He had Darryl Richardson and barely an attack to give him any chance on the passing attack.   Bradford threw 14 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions with opposing defense aiming in on him.  3 of the 4 INT were tipped.  Sam played very well in the second half of last season after the playbook was switched up and the Red Zone efficiency magically improved.   He continued that assault this season, moving an offense that wasn’t ready to thrive yet.  Imagine if Sam is around when Tavon Austin is fully utilized and mobile with Stacy on the ground as well?  That’s 2014 looking at you.

Be mad.  Go ahead.  It’s appropriate.   Say you won’t show up to games next year.  Beg the team to use their #2 or #3 draft pick on college quarterback Jameis Winston.  All is relative these days to the usual outcry of fans and neither statement is stupid.   The Rams finishing 7-9 isn’t eye popping great but put into perspective of their rebuilding mode and looking at the loss of Bradford nearly halfway through, the season wasn’t a total loss and nearly could have better.

Imagine if we don’t flop the entire first quarter in Atlanta and get a win there.   What if we don’t cough up that game to Seattle at home with the win a yard away with seconds left?  What if we don’t give that game to the Titans at home?   Same as last year, where we lost close games to Tampa and Detroit and let a win in San Francisco get away.   The Rams revamped their offense halfway into last season, just like this year, so hopefully there is one solidified plan that can go throughout 2014.

Sure, the division play won’t get any easier.  Arizona played well enough for a playoff spot but got denied and the 49ers and Seahawks will chase The Lombardi trophy again.  The Rams will have to earn every single win they get in the West, but they will be better tasked to do so next year.  After a draft where the Rams could trade down and double their top picks and free agency, the Rams will start 2014 with a set offense and hopefully an improved secondary.    Some of the youthful arrogance will wear off the younger players.   Alec Ogletree will only get better.   Chris Long will continue to manhandle quarterbacks.   Brian Quick, Austin, Chris Givens, Stedman Bailey and Jared Cook will settle in.  The Rams double boot combo of Greg Zuerlein and Johnny Hecker will be back.  Stacy and Cunningham will be ready to shoulder the running load and may mix in some hyper speed with Richardson in the mix.  “Earth, Wind and Fire” Part 2?

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Oh, I didn’t forget Robert Quinn.  That would be like forgetting about Zeus in the talk of immortal Gods.  With apologies to Stacy, the player to watch all season was this mad dog defensive end who won’t leave the mind of every tackle who had to bend their fingers back and twist their wrists trying to stop him.  Quinn got 19 sacks on the season and that came with getting held, strangled and double teamed by every single team.   If he had gotten a couple more calls, you could have easily seen 20 if not 25 sacks from Quinn, the parting gift #13 pick from Spags and Devaney before they left.  Quinn forced 7 fumbles and recovered 2.   He was adept at stopping the run.   He disrupted offenses every play.   He has played all but 1 game in his first three seasons, gathering up 34.5 sacks.  The North Carolina man child is doing very well and deserves the Defensive Player of the Year.  Need proof?  Ask quarterbacks and/or offensive linemen if they’d rather deal with throwing towards Richard Sherman or holding off Quinn.   That answer should be easy.

All in all, I am proud of what the Rams accomplished in 2013, when looked at over all 16 games and when taking into account the setbacks.  It wasn’t always pretty and could have been better, but having seen what the fanbase dealt with from 2007-2011, I will take it.   And I am especially excited for what should come in 2014 and beyond.

Photo Credits(Respectively)-fansided.com, bleacherreport.com
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Dan Buffa is the co-creator, administrator and writer for the movie website, http://www.film-addict.com. He also writes for the local blog United Cardinal Bloggers in addition to Arch City Sports.  He also writes for his personal blog, http://www.doseofbuffa.com.   He is a STL born and raised writer with a need to inform and the ability to pound out 1,000-1,500 word pieces with ease.  When he isn’t writing or drinking coffee, he is spending time with his wife and two year old son in South City.  Follow him at @buffa82 on Twitter and reach him for thoughts, comments and general feedback at buffa82@gmail.com.

Rams Struggling to Finish

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Trust me Rams fans, the picture isn’t as dark as it looks with the team sitting at 3-6 after today’s loss to the Tennessee Titans at home.   In a game that the Rams dominated for at least 2 quarters, they simply didn’t get enough from certain players on their team and the defense allowed slumping running back Chris Johnson to rediscover his dominant running days from 3 years ago.   Things just got away from our team again.  It happened last week against Seattle and again this week.   We have a problem finishing.   I do refer to the fans and the team in  my blogs as “we” a lot.  We watch as they play and slump our shoulders when they fail and raise our arms as high as they do when they succeed, thus bringing to the table the slogan, “WE”.  Today, a few things went well for the home team and a few others did not.   Look, losing your starting quarterback in the middle of a football season that was showing improvement is back breaking for nearly every team in the NFL, so the Rams are merely surviving until 2014.  This season will get ugly, but I am here to you it doesn’t have to be if the Rams make some changes.   Let’s break it down.

Kellen Clemens fared better than last week but I am sorry this guy still doesn’t stand out as a man who can win games for this team.  He completed better than 50 percent this week and threw a touchdown pass and didn’t throw a pick, but is there a stat for overthrowing receivers or simply making horrible decisions?   Clemens isn’t terrible but he isn’t good either.  He is like a burger at a bar and grill known for its pizza and wings.  Editable but not desirable.   Late in the game, Clemens did commit a horrible fumble and a play which led to the go ahead winning touchdown for the Titans.   Clemens gets a little too amped up out there and seems to rush his decisions.   That comes from being a backup most of your career.  Thrust into the spotlight, you don’t know what to do.   Clemens is your clipboard guy who can come in and mop up a game or make one decent throw per drive.  He isn’t a person who can take every series and pull out a win.  With him behind center, I don’t see a lot of wins for this team and it could be a 4-12 like finish if he remains the starter.  Some players are what their football card tells you.  His history explains it.  A backup who doesn’t do well in the starting role.  Get him out Jeff Fisher.  You can only have an obsession with one quarterback on this team and your other guy is more deserving.

Hello Zac Stacy, the new most valuable player on this Rams defense and secret weapon 5th round draft pick from April that people were talking about all year until he finally got the main tailback slot.  Once people saw that Darryl Richardson was nothing more than a temporary flash worthy of a few carries, Stacy was given the ball and here is what he has done since getting a bulk of the carries.

Week 5(Jaguars)-14 carries, 78 yards

Week 6(Panthers)-17 carries, 51 cards and 4 receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown(his weakest stats but still a score and a presence)

Week 7(Seahawks)-Stacy’s breakout game on National Television, 26 carries for 134 yards against the tough Seahawks defense

Week 8(Titants)-27 carries for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns

Slowly but surely, the rookie running back out of Vanderbilt is turning into a formidable player and playmaker on this offense.  He is exactly what Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer wanted after Steven Jackson left.  A younger, beastly, low to the ground pound back who will wear down defenses.   Stacy is 5 foot 8 and 216 pounds and doesn’t stop running until the whistle blows.  Stacy is a grinder and that is a good thing for a team that couldn’t run the ball for its life in the first four weeks of the season and scored its first rushing touchdowns today.   The only cruel thing is Stacy’s work twice has gone to waste behind average quarterback play and idiotic fumbles like Benny Cunningham’s on the Rams game opening drive.

The defense was soft against the run yet put pressure on Jake Locker.  With Robert Quinn and his 10 sacks garnering an extra set of eyes, other players like Kendall Langford and William Hayes put Locker on the ground.  This team is nearing 30 sacks and we are entering the 10th week.  A pass rushing attack that couldn’t find traction early on is becoming a dominant force in a defense that shows up yet always springs a leak.  Cortland Finnegan collected an interception that went to the wayside because the Leg missed a 40 yard field goal in a dome where he never misses.  Get off Greg Zuerlein’s back for missing a 50 yard ball against the Seahawks, but a 40 yard shot has to be made.   It wouldn’t play a huge role in the final score but seeing the kid miss ordinary leg boots is a warning sign.

At this point, you may ask who this Rams team can beat.  The answer will be close to zero because of the current quarterback’s limited skill set and the offensive coordinator who doesn’t change schemes fast enough.  Schotty Jr. either pounds the ball and calls careless passing plays or overthrows his way to failure.  He promised a more wide open offensive approach and it was sporadic with Bradford and missing completely with Clemens.  All we count on is the continued running success of Zac Stacy, a rookie whose production is astounding because the defense is prepared to stop him and making Clemens beat them through the air.  2013 may go down as the season that we would look back on and wonder what would have happened if Bradford didn’t trip and fall on his own knee.  Next week, we head to Indianapolis, where Andrew Luck, Robert Mathis and company will either be angry about losing to the Texans or still trying to put a clamp on their up and down season.   After that, the Rams get a bye week to mend their wounds and collect a few thoughts before returning with the Bears at home.  Jay Cutler may not play that game but does it really matter at this point who opposes Clemens?  The 49ers and Cards host us next and they are followed by the Saints, Bucs and a season finale in Seattle on December 29th.  I don’t see a clear winnable game.  The Bucs nearly upended the Seahawks today before collapsing late and the Cards are capable of beating us on their own turf.  The other games would have to include miracles for us to come out on top.  So, 3-13 or 4-12 it is.

In the NFL, effort is nice to see and competing is great but if you lose every week respect goes out the door.  If Jeff Fisher can’t make a change at QB and insert a young hungry arm in Austin Davis, a man who was turned away at the end of training game, or even give Brady Quinn a shot, what does he expect to happen from Clemens?  Improvement would only exist at the root of insanity, Mr. Fisher.  We like your style but won’t hesitate to call you crazy if you let this team sink along with the efforts of Robert Quinn and Zac Stacy.

Also, cool down on Tavon Austin.  Yes, he was supposed to light the Dome on fire and empower us after the Rams selected him with the 8th pick in the draft, but look at what he is doing and what Stacy is doing.  That’s the NFL for you.  It’s full of surprises and production comes in its own time.  This isn’t year three with Austin.   He is slowly progressing.  Sure, he has fumbled three times, started only 2 games, and only has 207 yards and 2 touchdowns but he is about ready to break through on the return game.  Austin is a rookie people.  He needs time.  This goes to the same crowd forming a lynch mob in front of every IHOP looking for Matt Adams’ missing bat in October.   Rookies will struggle and fail a lot before becoming good and then ascending to greatness.   Give Austin time.  He is being thrown to right now by a weak arm and has spent the entire season in a dull offense.  He will make plays.  Just give him time.  This isn’t New England or Denver.  In Rams park, they are working with dial up and not broadband speed.

That’s all for now.  I will be coming back this week with a first look and impression of the 2013-2014 St. Louis Blues.   Sure, they are 7-2-2 but showing some cracks.  More to come this week.

Thanks for staying to the end,

Dan L. Buffa

@buffa82 on Twitter

A Stream of Unfiltered Prose

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Now that the Cards blog is out, the gym is done, food is down and the body has been rebooted, allow me to fire out a random dose of material.  I can spin yarn about a various amount of topics and dig a little deep when required so consider this your afternoon dose of Buffa.   First, a little baseball news.

*The decision to start Lance Lynn in Game 4 is peculiar and makes me question Mike Matheny’s motives for Shelby Miller in the NLCS.   Lynn threw 29 pitches last night in 2 innings and got the win and now will be asked to head back to the mound on Tuesday for Game 4 when Miller is completely rested and ready to roll.   Let’s look at it this way.  Lance Lynn has worked out of the pen and as we saw last night, can do well there.  Miller has never been asked to come out of the pen on a regular basis and is a much more effective starter.  When Lynn worked last night, I figured Miller was set for Game 4.   If this is an innings limit matter, save me the analysis.   Miller has plenty left in the gas tank and doesn’t need to be shut down or limited.  You see how that went for Strasburg after his Tommy John Surgery.   Why rest and limit young pitchers?  Michael Wacha seems to be doing just fine.  Is there a problem with Miller that we don’t know of or is Matheny showing tough love or what the hell is happening?   Lynn coming out in relief and starting four days later isn’t arm threatening but makes me wonder further about Miller’s status.  He pitched one inning in Game 2 against Pittsburgh a week ago and hasn’t pitched since.  Why do managers always like to play mind games and withhold reasons?  We’ve followed your team for 6 months and deserve a reason.  If Matheny is so loyal to his young players, what is wrong with Shelby Miller?  Don’t answer too quick.  Matheny takes his thoughts one word at a time.  I’ve supported Matheny and defended him for months.  Just want to know what’s going on in his head.

*Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, the last two men to beat Manny Pacquaio, step into the ring tonight to wage war on each other.  Classic boxing match between two guys on an emotional high but still seeking more.   Bradley won a ridiculous decision over Pacquiao but impressed me and fight pundits more when he survived a vicious battle with Russian power punching machine Ruslan Provodnikov.  After getting knocked down and wobbled, Bradley recovered, exchanged blows and fired at will and won a controversial decision.   We all know what Marquez did last.   A little less than a year ago, Marquez went toe to toe with long time nemesis Pac-Man and scored a one punch knockout win.   After three close fights, Marquez left nothing to chance and knocked out Pac cold with one punch.   He saved himself in that fight because Manny was bloodying Juan’s face and busted his nose open.   In my mind, those two men deserve to fight again because of how well Pacquaio was fighting before getting stupid and because they produce such great fights.  That’s for later discussion.   Who wins the fight tonight?  You have two counter punchers who have been to war and made it out alive.   Marquez is 40 years old but fighting like he’s 30.   Bradley is still undefeated(wrongfully) and hungry.   I am going with Marquez because he is too smart and so agile in the ring these days that I think he will be able to control the action in the ring.   Both men can dish and receive and keep coming but JMM is the better boxer and can bang in the middle if needed.  Bradley will be overly aggressive and try to hunt Marquez down and we know what happens there.   I don’t expect a knockout but I think Marquez wins on 2 cards and takes Bradley’s belt.  If Pacquiao defeats Brandon Rios next month, he more than likely gets the winner of this match.  This will be a spirited, action packed and entertaining fight tonight.

*I am eager to see Captain Phillips and will do so this coming week.   The true story starring Tom Hanks as a ship captain who sees his rig overtaken by Somali Pirates is supposed to be one of the better films of the year and I want to see what’s really there.  First, I will address something about the movie’s director, the great Paul Greengrass(who helmed the last two Bourne films), taking some liberty with the true story.   Certain ship mates of Phillips have come out and said the movie paints him as a hero too much.   Well, to that, I say this, loud and clear….IT’S A FREAKING MOVIE.  Make believe, full of actors and made with a budget.  Why do people fail to recognize that just because a film says based on a true story does it mean every little detail will be flushed out perfectly on the big screen.   It’s called creative freedom and a cinematic process of taking something real(actors, story) and turning it into a watchable film.   No one wants to watch something boring.  This is NOT a documentary with interviews and flashbacks(like a movie that opened this weekend called The Summit, about 18 mountain climbers taking on the K2 mountain).  It is a movie, pure and simple.   Phillips wrote a book about his experience and the movie takes its cue from that point of view.  If the crew doesn’t like it, they can get their own movie funded and produced.   Until then, I will watch and enjoy the captain’s version of the story and not worry about fact checking.

*The Blues are 3-0 but don’t get excited.  Chastise me for saying this but last season we opened fast out of the gate and then hit a brick wall.    I like this Blues team and I like Jaro Halak getting the reins this season in a walk year but I will not lose my view of the past.  You got a talented bunch of people here.   Tarasenko is back.   Alexander Steen and Chris Stewart.  David Backes already has two goals.   Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester are a solid defensive duo.   New guys Derek Roy and Brendan Morrow are fine veteran additions.   Brian Elliot is ready to go and will start soon.  Ken Hitchcock isn’t satisfied and who would be in their first full season?  My point is take it easy and go game to game.   Hockey is a brutally inconsistent game and can snap a good mood with one bad bounce.  A few quick thoughts on the Zig Zag Kings.

-I like Halak as the starter bc when healthy he is a great goaltender. Most shutouts, playoff able and a true gamer.

-The Bou-Pietro combo on defense is one of the best in the NHL. Smart stretch passer and a competent leader on the other side.

-When he is on, the baby jesus smooth hands of Chris Stewart are as efficient as any winger in the league.

-Big fan of Ryan Reaves. He can skate, play, exist on the ice for a role AND…pound the shit out of players.

-TJ Oshie is still a Blue because he’s cheap, versatile and is capable of wow plays and doesn’t flop like Perron.

The Blues are once again built to contend and are as talented up and down the roster as Chicago, who they beat in a brutal and exciting final second battle on Wednesday.   They can have a great regular season but won’t have everybody’s belief until they prove to be as strong in the playoffs.   Touche Note!

*This just in.  Hanley Rameriz is sitting out today due to his ribs being sore from Joe Kelly drilling him last night.   Oh poor little Hanley.  Roy Hobbs played with a bullet lodged in his rib cage in the Natural.   Come on baby Hanley.   I wonder if we can get Chris Carpenter to make him piss his pants again.  Skip Schumacher is in for Andre Ethier so the Dodgers look a little naked today.  Go Cards!

*Charlie Hunman, who is great on FX’s Sons of Anarchy as Jax Teller, has abruptly pulled out of Fifty Shades of Grey, a highly erotic and wildly popular sex novel that is being brought to the big screen.   The controversial role of Christian Grey, who liked to spice things up in the bedroom and started dating a young innocent woman, wasn’t for just ANY actor.   Hunman took it on, but dropped it today apparently due to his overloaded TV schedule.  He also could be doing Pacific Rim 2, a monster blockbuster which propelled his name this past summer above the ranks of television stars.   I like Charlie but find myself happy for him and his future for pulling out of a role that may have twisted his career up.  No offense to the guy who does play Grey, but he needs to be more of a nobody to fully inhabit the role.  Just my three cents.

*Music to listen to.   The Heavy, the British band that put out the well known and frequently used track, “How Do You Like Me Now”.   They have a solid collection of bluesy rocking tunes that carry a shade of pop and jazz.   Look for their song Short Change Hero.  Good stuff.

*The Rams scored an ugly layup victory over the hapless Jaguars on Sunday.   Great, now they must go on the road and deal with a pissed off Houston Texans team.   Good luck.  Another test for a team that is 2-3 yet showing as many signs of ugly as they do of progress.   What will Bradford do this week and if he is healthy I think Zac Stacy deserves 20 carries.  Against a bad defense, he rushed 14 times for 78 yards but shows more promise than Darryl Richardson.   The defense will need to find a way to stop Andre Johnson, who is a gametime decision but even at 75 percent a decent threat.

What else?  That’s all I got.  It’s almost time for Game 2 of the National League Championship series and for my Cardinals to go up 2-0 in the series before heading west.   It’s time to take in a little baseball.

Thanks for staying,

Dan Buffa